i know you dont recruit much stabilizing muscles on the smith machine but has anyone gotten good gains on it? I'm thinking of incorporating this in my chest routine along with DB flat press to work the stabilizer and balancing aspect.
Also how many lb's does the bar weigh?
reason being is because I dont have a spotter and I like going to failure without fear of weights dropping on me.
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Thread: Smith machine bench
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03-18-2010, 03:58 PM #1
Smith machine bench
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03-18-2010, 04:07 PM #2
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03-18-2010, 04:07 PM #3
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You probably haven't considered this, but the power rack is for more than just squats. Set the adjustable rails at the level slightly higher than the bench and you are good to go. I bench in there all the time to failure. Safely.
Use the tools of the trade to help you. I use devices such as chalk for grip strength, gloves, wrist straps, lifting belts - if it helps you lift more, it's all good. - Ronnie Coleman, Hardcore, 2007 Triumph Books
Biggest question in bodybuilding: Whaddaya bench? As I've said before, it doesn't matter how much you bench; it matters how much you [i]look[/i] like you bench... There's no round on stage that's the benchpress round. - Bob Chicherillo, World Class Physique, CMG
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03-18-2010, 04:12 PM #4
Last I checked the bar doesn't move by itself so of course it will build muscle if you're progressively lifting more weight for reps and doing enough volume with the right form.
When you look at pro bodybuilders, can you tell who built their chest with machines or freeweights? Didn't think so.
Bottom line: if it agrees with your joints and your goal is to simply build muscle, use it.
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03-18-2010, 04:39 PM #5
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03-18-2010, 04:42 PM #6
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03-18-2010, 05:07 PM #7
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03-18-2010, 06:18 PM #8
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03-18-2010, 07:42 PM #9
I'd go with Dominik's advice. If you're into powerlifting or Olympic lifting, then ditch Mr. Smith; if you're into hypertrophy and you don't care about your stabilizers all that much, then assuming you work progressively on the Smith--or any other machine for that matter--then you'll get more muscle.
"Don't call me Miss Kitty. Just...don't."--Catnip. Check out the Catnip Trilogy on Amazon.com
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03-18-2010, 07:44 PM #10
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03-18-2010, 07:46 PM #11No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
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03-18-2010, 07:48 PM #12
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I dont like smith machines but i like Doms statement.
Bottom line: if it agrees with your joints and your goal is to simply build muscle, use it.~~~~~~~~~~
''Bro, get yourself under control lol next thing we know Illy is gonna be 175 lbs, addicted to coke, involved in gang activity, and with a 365 max deadlift... ''-Blizzard589
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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03-18-2010, 09:36 PM #13"Don't call me Miss Kitty. Just...don't."--Catnip. Check out the Catnip Trilogy on Amazon.com
"Chivalry isn't dead. It just wears a skirt."--Twisted, the YA gender bender deal of the century!
Check out my links to Mr. Taxi, Star Maps, and other fine YA Action/Romance novels at http://www.amazon.com/J.S.-Frankel/e/B004XUUTB8/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
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03-18-2010, 09:51 PM #14
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03-19-2010, 03:40 AM #15
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03-19-2010, 03:45 AM #16
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03-19-2010, 03:48 AM #17
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03-19-2010, 03:49 AM #18
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03-19-2010, 03:53 AM #19
Using the Smith to squat is really a bad idea, unless you're an advanced lifter that knows how to use it, for fine-tuning. My PT made me do Smith squats for almost a year and I didn't really like it. My legs grew and I got stronger but I never felt comfortable squatting using the Smith.
BB squats = win
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03-19-2010, 06:58 AM #20
No shoulder problems with me, either. It's Barbell Bench that has the reputation as a shoulder killer.
I've Squatted, and Front Squatted, on a Smith, off and on, for years with no problems.
Blanket statements of what does, and does not cause problems, have no place here.No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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03-19-2010, 07:04 AM #21
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03-19-2010, 07:11 AM #22No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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03-19-2010, 07:17 AM #23
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03-19-2010, 07:20 AM #24
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03-19-2010, 07:22 AM #25
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I was actually talking to -L and his had problems with his knee and therefore i dont take back what i said, I wasnt talking to anyone else therefore it wasnt a blanket statment.
D1 you said little knowledge is a dangerous thing and your right i obviously dont have the wisdom and experience that you have but IMO i hate the smith machine and thats my opinion and im not going to blanket statments like that to people but like i said between me and -L ill say what i want.~~~~~~~~~~
''Bro, get yourself under control lol next thing we know Illy is gonna be 175 lbs, addicted to coke, involved in gang activity, and with a 365 max deadlift... ''-Blizzard589
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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03-19-2010, 07:25 AM #26
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03-19-2010, 07:26 AM #27
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03-19-2010, 07:27 AM #28
The lower trapezius muscle controls the positioning of the shoulder blade providing a platform for the development of power and avoiding injuries to the rotator cuff. Lower trapezius activity also reduces upper trapezius tension, one of the prime causes of neck pain and tension.
The brachialis acts as a stabilizer in the Bench Press.
There is no distinct, mysterious group of “stabilizer muscles.” In fact, every muscle in the body can play a stabilizing role.
A study performed at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa) found that trained lifters were, on average, more than 15% stronger during their one-rep max bench press when testing with a free-weight barbell as compared to a Smith machine. In a follow-up study performed by the Weider Research Group (Woodland Hills, California), trained bodybuilders were about 10% stronger during the free-weight bench press compared to the Smith machine bench press when using a 10-rep max weight. The strength deficit on the Smith machine is due to the fixed, straight path of the bar in the Smith machine. In contrast, when pressing the bar up during a bench press, the strongest path is a curved one (heading toward your chin on the way up).
These results don't mean you should never use a Smith machine for bench presses. The Smith has many benefits. The bar path may be a biomechanical disadvantage, but it will hit different muscle fibers than the barbell version. In addition, a Smith machine lets you worry less about balance and focus more on the pectoral contraction. For bodybuilders training alone, a Smith machine offers the critical advantage of safety.
Those who feel they are stronger when doing bench presses in a Smith machine are likely the victims of an illusion. A typical Olympic barbell weighs 45 pounds, but a typical bar of a counterbalanced Smith machine weighs only 10 pounds. Doing the math, it's easy to see why you would think you're stronger in a Smith. A bench press with two 45-pound plates per side equals 225 pounds (with a 45-pound bar). However, those same four 45-pound plates added to a Smith machine weigh only 190 pounds. Adding a 10-pound plate to each side would only amount to 210 pounds. Although it looks 20 pounds heavier than the same plates on an Olympic barbell, it is actually 15 pounds, or almost 10%, lighter.
As stated above, you aren’t using your stabilizing muscles, which yes, makes it safer–but you won’t get everything out of each particular exercise, nor push yourself hard as possible. There isn’t a need to balance the bar and that will lead to under-development in your muscles or lack of development of stabilizing muscles.
It can make you more prone to injury since you aren’t working those stabilizing muscles. What will happen is you’ll develop muscles you’re working with the smith machine, but the development of those muscles without the development of the stabilizing muscles around them will make you more likely to get injured when you’re doing any sort of physical activity.
It is a teacher of poor form for any exercise. There really isn’t many free weight exercises that use a 100% straight up and down movement, most have a slight arc or a slight bend so the straight up and down movement isn’t the correct form for the majority of exercises. Your body isn’t allowed to make any natural adjustments when performing an exercise and that can aggravate things.
now this was turned up w/ a 30 second google on stabilizers muscles. There is no one group, lifting with a barbell you are forced to balance it. I do not feel compelled enough to go and look for a scientific study about it, as for me my personal experiences are sufficient. There is a stark difference between a free weight bench and a smith bench. If all you want to do is push up and are concerned about safety then yes fuc|< the stabilizer muscles and go to the smith.
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03-19-2010, 07:27 AM #29
............................and I was responding to im2manly.
I still want to know which muscles are teh stabilizerzz.No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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03-19-2010, 07:30 AM #30No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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